


A Prophecy Fulfilled

by TabbyWolf



Series: Hope will never die [6]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Also there's one racial slur in it now but no real world ones, Anakin knows Palpatine is evil, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dooku lives, F/M, Gen, I don't know how to tag this, More tags might be added, Pregnancy, Revenge of the Sith rewrite, it's all in a nightmare though, mentions of dead babies and dying in childbirth, pregnancy reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TabbyWolf/pseuds/TabbyWolf
Summary: Anakin has to rescue the chancellor from General Grievous, but thanks to Jaig's warning he resists killing Count Dooku. Grievous still gets away and has to be dealt with. Will he fall to the dark side like he did in the original timeline, or will knowing about the empire help him fulfill the prophecy?(background Rexsoka, and Jaig is their child from the future)
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: Hope will never die [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1400095
Comments: 55
Kudos: 108





	1. The Announcement

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin screamed as his master was flung across the room and landed near a catwalk.

Dooku used the force to drop the catwalk on him, but Anakin managed to catch the catwalk before it could kill Obi-Wan. Anakin was furious, and he charged at Dooku.

He swung his lightsaber even more furiously as he fought the count. He was getting even angrier now. Dooku had taken so much from him. His hand, so many of his men, maybe Obi-Wan. He cringed at the thought that his former master might not make it. Even though he could feel that his former master was still alive, he knew what failure meant. If he couldn't defeat Dooku now, Obi-Wan would never get up from where he lay on the floor now.

He doubled his efforts, drawing on his anger. with one last swoop, he cut off the Sith's hands at the wrists. He summoned the red, curved saber to his other hand and crossed the blades in front of Dooku's throat as the older man sank to the floor.

"Good, Anakin, good" the chancellor said in his slimy voice. The more Anakin knew about the man, the more disgusted he felt. The facade felt manipulative and gross. But he had to pretend to still fall for it.

"Kill him" Palpatine said with a sickening smile as Dooku shot the chancellor a confused look "Kill him now"

Dooku looked at him like he wanted to say something. Anakin's first impulse was to slice his head off, but he hesitated.

"I shouldn't" he said.

"Do it" Palpatine said, and Anakin could hear the desperation in his voice. As much he as he wanted to kill the man in front of him, he wouldn't do it if that meant listening to a Sith.

"No, it's not the Jedi way"

"Anakin, we can't take him with us. The ship is going down, we need to get out of here!"

"He must stand trial according to Republic law" he said before turning towards Count Dooku "Count Dooku, you are under arrest. Will you come with us willingly"

"I don't think I have much of a choice here"

"I know, but I'm afraid the chancellor has a point if you don't cooperate"

"I'll cooperate" the count said.

"Alright then, let's leave quickly"

"Hold on, I'm not leaving Obi-Wan"

"You can't save him, Anakin. You have to let him go"

"No!" he spat, before walking over to his former master and picking him up "We need to get to the bridge"

* * *

There was a blinding light as the flames engulfed the front of the invisible hand. They had entered Coruscant's atmosphere, and the friction had set the ship aflame. Beside him, he could feel Obi-Wan disassociating, like he always did when flying was getting interesting.

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking noise and the ship broke apart.

"Not to worry, we're still flying half a ship"

"This is insanity" Dooku said "I'm very disappointed in you, Obi-Wan"

"Don't blame me" Obi-Wan said indignantly "This was Anakin's idea"

"You should've trained him better"

"Like I'd listen to him" Anakin said.

"Thank you for at least admitting that I have the better ideas" Obi-Wan said.

"Will you two stop arguing and get this ship to the ground safely already"

"Of course, do you think I want to die?" he asked as he put the thrusters in reverse and engaged all the brakes the ship still had.

"I do get that impression occasionally" Obi-Wan said.

The chancellor just sat in his seat, stunned.

Several smaller firefighting ships appeared next to them and started putting out the flaming hull, but they were getting closer to the ground.

"Brace for impact!" he said as he tilted the nose upwards to avoid the cockpit being impacted directly.

With a deafening screech, the Invisible Hand came to a stop on top of the buildings of Coruscant.

"Another happy landing" Obi-Wan said.

Both Dooku and Palpatine just looked shocked.

"Let's get out of here" Anakin said.

"That sounds like a good idea" Obi-Wan said as he grabbed Dooku by the lower arm, careful not to hurt the stumps, and guided him to the exit.

* * *

Anakin watched as the Chancellor spoke to the rest of the council in front of the temple. He and Obi-Wan had split up shortly after the crash. He was taking the Chancellor back to the senate while Obi-Wan was taking Dooku to jail.

He had a lot to think about. He knew the Chancellor was a Sith Lord and had been trying to find evidence since Jaig had shared this information, but he hadn't found any evidence that could be used in court. He was now fully convinced though, especially after what Palpatine had asked of him. He knew that Dooku was a Sith as well, so Palpatine must be the apprentice. He had done some research into the Sith, and he found out why there were always two. An apprentice wouldn't become a master unless they could get their master killed. That was the only way to prove that they were superior. And the rules never specifically mentioned that they had to kill their master personally, so it made sense that Palpatine would just manipulate Dooku into that deadly situation.

But what really bothered him was how easy it would have been to listen. He _wanted_ to do it. Was the dark side getting to him? Was the war getting to him? Was there a difference?

"Ani!"

He looked up at the sound of his wife's voice. She was running towards him as fast as her dress would allow. He opened his arms and she jumped into them, hugging him tightly. Everything felt better right away. He held her as close as he could. She smelled nice. She always did.

"I'm so glad to see you again. It's been months"

"I know. I've missed you"

"Ani, something wonderful has happened. I'm pregnant"

"What?

"I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby"

He couldn't believe his ears.

"For real?"

"Yes, what are we going to do?"

"For now, nothing. I'm so happy. I want to enjoy this moment and not worry about anything" he said as he kissed her forehead and pulled her close again.

He was going to be a father. He knew she was most likely between two and three months along, since he hadn't seen her in two months. And those two weeks before that had been... Intense. Ahsoka's trial had been a big source of stress for both of them, and he had stayed over at her apartment every night to "destress" together. The stress was probably why her birth control failed. Not that it really mattered. They had both wanted children someday, but wanted to wait until after the war was over so they'd both have time to raise them. Now, their first was just a bit earlier. Still, he was beyond happy. At least one good thing had come from Ahsoka's trial.

Ahsoka. She'd want to hear this.

He let go of Padmé, pulled out his comm and called her.

As it rang for the first time, he could feel the anticipation burn inside him. He was going to tell all of his friends, starting with her.

"Ani, who are you calling?"

"Ahsoka. I have to tell her"

"What? are you crazy?"

The comm rang for the second time and Ahsoka picked up.

"Ahsoka, I’m gonna be a father! I’m. So. Happy!!!” he yelled into the comm before she could say anything.

"What?" she asked. She didn't sound fully awake, but he didn't care.

“Padmé is pregnant, and she’s gonna have a baby! I’m so excited!” He continued without thinking.

“Ani, stay quiet” Padmé said “the whole temple can hear you”

He pulled her into another hug and kissed her temple “You’re so beautiful, Angel. I love you so much”

“Right... congratulations. I have other things to attend to. It’s urgent, bye” Ahsoka said before hanging up.

"I'm going to call Rex" he said, but Padmé grabbed his comm before he could even begin to call his Captain.

"No, you're not. We're going to go home and I'm gonna make sure you don't do anything stupid"

"But I have a press meeting in a few minutes"

"That's all the more reason to keep you away from the press. What if you mention the baby in front of them? I'll tell them you need to see the medic for a battle related injury. Where is Kix?"

"I left him and the rest of the 332nd on Mandalore with Ahsoka"

"Wait, Ahsoka is back?"

"Yeah, didn't I tell you just now?"

"No? I assumed you just had her number. I didn't know she rejoined the GAR. Come back to my place. We can talk about it over a nice cup of caf"

"Are you sure you don't want anything stronger to set the mood?" he said, winking.

She just shot him an angry look that said "are you serious?", and then he realized.

"Right. Sorry. It still takes some time getting used to that idea. Do you know the gender?"

"Not yet, I have a check up this week. Do you want to know?"

"No. I want it to be a surprise"

"Okay, then we'll tell the doctor that we don't want to know anything"

"I hope I can come with you" he said as he kissed her forehead again.

"I hope so too"

* * *

Later that day, Anakin was writing his report on what happened on the Invisible Hand. He really hated it if he was honest with himself. Usually, Rex would help him with it. But Rex wasn't here

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in" he said.

"How are you holding up, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired and struggling with this report" he said "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Dooku is very cooperative. He said the chancellor ordered you to kill him, but that you refused. I'm proud of you, Anakin. You controlled your anger and did the right thing. Having Dooku still alive might get us proof of what Jaig told us"

"I know, master"

"Something's bothering you"

"I wanted to kill him. He deserved it. For what he did to Mo, Boar, Chip, Racer, Skye... All of them. And me" he said as he held his prosthetic in his real hand.

"I know. He did. It's unfair. But it wouldn't be fair to let him die if that meant that this war would continue."

"I know. I'm just confused. Why do the Jedi always ask me to stand by when something unjust happens? It's always _control your anger_ , like I'm supposed to be okay with those horrible things happening. Like _I'm_ what's out of control!"

"I understand. But that's not what we meant"

"Then what did you mean?"

"The first step to controlling the situation is controlling yourself. If you're not in control of yourself, you can't control the situation. That's why we repress our anger"

"I know that. But every time I try that, I just end up getting more angry. Mostly at myself for being so heartless. I try to hide it, but that just upsets me more"

"I should've known. This is my fault. I'm sorry Anakin, I should've trained you better"

"Don't blame yourself for my failure, master. The council already said I was too old when I joined. I should've listened"

"No, _I_ should've listened. I should've known that it would be hard to unlearn what you had learned about anger, and I should've taught you in a different way. The clones don't repress their anger, yet they're in control. Maybe whatever they're doing will work for you"

Anakin didn't know what to say, but it suddenly made sense. He was angry that he had tried so long in vain, but he was relieved that things finally made sense. Maybe he'd finally succeed in getting that control.


	2. Always two, there are (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin starts having nightmares about his wife dying in childbirth. Instead of asking the Jedi for advice, he asks Jaig

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't actually a half chapter like the title would imply, but the title fits well with both this chapter and one other that I have planned

Anakin screamed as he sat up in bed. The nightmare, it had seemed so real. He could still hear Padmé's screams as she died. This time, however, she wasn't the only one to have died. Their child, a small baby girl, had died with her. It wasn't the first time he had had this dream, but it had been the first time dreaming of the little girl. In his dream he got to hold her small, limp body as the nurses carted away her mother's body. He had had a similar dream before though, only that time it had been a boy. He had also had dreams of a baby of unknown gender.

He wiped the sweat off his face and looked at his wife. She was still fast asleep. He smiled, assuring himself that it had all been just a nightmare. He gently stroked her arm with his flesh hand to reassure himself that she was still there. This had been his tenth or eleventh time he'd had this kind of dream in the two weeks since he had known she was pregnant.

After a few moments, he got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. His mouth was parched, and the water tasted like the greatest thing ever.

He had to talk about it with someone. Usually, he'd go to Master Yoda with something like this. But maybe, Jaig would know what happened in her timeline. She had told him that she wouldn't tell anyone about their future since it would stress people out, it wouldn't matter in his situation. He was already worried sick, so it couldn't get any worse.

He send her a text message asking her to call him when she can, because he didn't know what time it was on Mandalore and she might be in the middle of a battle.

He sighed. Why was he having these dreams? Were they manifestations of his fear of losing the ones he loved? A vision of what was to come? Or was it a warning? Jaig wouldn't have all the answers anymore, he knew that. The timeline had changed, and some events from her timeline were bound to be different now. Still, she might knew something useful.

His commlink beeped. That was fast. He picked it up and the small hologram of Jaig stood at attention.

"You wanted to speak to me, sir?"

He suddenly felt kind of bad for not dressing up more. He wasn't one for formal clothing, but addressing one of his troopers in his bathrobe was too much.

"At ease. This isn't a formal question. I want to know what happened to Padmé"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Padmé Amidala? The Naboo Senator. I know you probably weren't close to her, but do you know anything?"

"Yeah, my mom told me a little about her"

"Did she die?" he said nervously.

Jaig considered her next words for a moment "Yes, she did. But she died around the time that order 66 happened. But this time, uncle Fives survived and all my uncles are getting dechipped. That part of time is probably altered and it's unlikely that the same thing will happen in this timeline"

"Yeah but she died in childbirth, right?" Anakin said "not from order 66"

"Why would you ask that?" Jaig asked.

"I had a vision about that happening. I have to know the truth"

"I don't have it. Even if I knew what happened, it might be different this timeline. All I know is that she was pregnant at her funeral, and that's because my mom read about it in the news. Not at the time, she found out after looking up on the holonet why she was gone from the senate. At the time, the news was drowned out by news about how the clone wars were ending"

"I knew it"

"Sir, there is still a lot we can do about it. The force wouldn't give you a warning if it was inevitable"

"Maybe you're right. But what would you suggest?"

"I don't know, I'm not a medical expert. But I was born via C-section because of the risk to my mom. You should talk to her about it and go see a doctor about it. Both of you, it's better to know what's going on before the baby is born"

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable and practical. Much better than what the Jedi would say. They'd probably say something about letting go and allowing the force to guide you"

"I know, sir. The Jedi had a lot of issues with doing what they should do in theory instead of what is practical, if that makes sense"

"It does. And I hate it"

"Maybe you should leave then. Like my mom did"

"I can't. I have to be here for my men"

"She's here for the 332nd"

"I know. But I know it won't work like that for me. I'm going to have to stay, at least until after the war."

"I understand. Maybe you can leave afterwards"

"Yeah, I'll look into that. How's Ahsoka doing?"

"She's doing fine. She's still getting used to me being around, but she's getting used to it and she's with my dad now"

"That's good to hear. How are the rest of the men?"

"They're doing great as well. I need to get back to my duties now"

"Yeah, understandable. Good luck"

"Thank you, sir" she said and he broke the connection.

Talking to Jaig had really helped, even if it was weird. She never knew if she should treat him as family or as a superior officer (like those lines weren't heavily blurred in her family already) and he didn't know if he should treat her like a trooper, his niece or like an extra padawan in the same way that Obi-Wan had acted like Ahsoka's second master. He sighed in relief and walked back into the bedroom.

"Angel, are you awake?"

"Hmm?" she asked, sleepily.

"I've been thinking. It's probably better if we ask for the full results of the screening. To make sure everything goes well"

"Alright Ani. Whatever makes you happy. Lemme sleep"

"Of course, Angel" he said as he kissed her temple and went back to sleep.

* * *

Anakin took a deep breath before opening the file he had been sent. It contained the full rapport of the prenatal checkup Padmé had had. She'd asked for the short version, which had only said that everything was fine. But now, she had requested the full report and they were reading it together.
    
    
    Patient:            Padmé Amidala (Born: Padmé Naberrie)
    Physician:          Yvodonn Padcarr
    Assisting meddroid: 2-1B 3752
    Reason for visit:   Prenatal appointment, first trimester
    Precedure:          Ultrasound
    Results:            Both babies appear to be healthy
    

Anakin stopped reading after that. He was vaguely aware that it went on about things like fetal heartbeat but he could only think about one (or actually two) things.

"We're having twins" he practically yelled out as he grabbed Padmé and hugged her as tightly as he dared. She just stood there, stunned. Which was her usual response to the unexpected. She was so calm and collected, and he loved her like that.

He let Padmé go and grabbed his commlink

"I have to tell everyone!"

"Anakin no!" Padmé said as she successfully wrestled his commlink out of his hand.

"I'm so excited" he said, not even noticing that his comm was gone "What do you think it's gonna be? Boys? Girls? One of each? Identical? Fraternal?"

She grabbed his face and kissed him to shut him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think :)


	3. Towards the light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin is denied the rank of master and he and Obi-Wan intrrogate Dooku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back :)
> 
> Sorry for not announcing that I was forced to go on hiatus on this fic. But I survived the holidays and now I'll be uploading weekly again
> 
> Slight trigger warning: there is a racial slur in this, but no real world one. (It's tail-head)

"You want me to do what?"

"I want you to keep an eye on the Jedi council" the Chancellor repeated.

Anakin considered it. If the Sith got accurate intel about what was said that was a big problem, especially if there was a live listening device that could not be easily fooled. But he could refuse a listening device.

"Alright. I'll ask to be your personal representative on the council"

"Thank you, Anakin. I knew I could count on you."

"It's no problem, Chancellor" Anakin said as he left the office.

* * *

"Allow this appointment lightly, the council does not. Disturbing, this move by Chancellor Palpatine is"

"I understand. However, it would be better to let me do it than to let him get... Alternative means"

Several people seemed to agree.

"You are on this council, but we do not grant you the rank of master" Mace Windu said.

"What?" he said indignantly "How can you do this? This is outrageous. It's unfair. How can you be on the council and not be a master."

Mace Windu looked unimpressed and leaned forward "Take a seat, Young Skywalker"

Anakin knew that there was no point in arguing now. He wouldn't win this, Windu wasn't reasonable. He bowed half heartedly and said "Forgive me, master" before taking a seat. He saw Obi-Wan shake his head.

"We have surveyed all systems in the Republic, but have found no sign of General Grievous" Ki-Adi Mundi's hologram said.

"Hiding in the outer rim, Grievous is" Master Yoda said "Outlying systems, we must sweep"

"We do not have many ships to spare" Obi-Wan said.

"What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?" Mundi said.

"It is critical that we send an attack group there immediately" Windu said.

"He's right. It's a system we cannot afford to lose" Obi-Wan said.

"Go, I will" Yoda said "Good relations with the Wookiees, I have"

"It's settled then" Windu said "Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. May the force be with us all"

* * *

After the meeting was over, Anakin was still angry. Why would they not recognize his talents? He was one of the best generals in the Grand Army of the Republic. He was walking through the corridors when Obi-Wan caught up to him.

"Anakin, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not."

"What's wrong?"

"The council doesn't trust me."

"Anakin, it is a great opportunity. No one has ever been appointed to the council this young, and you'll get that promotion soon enough"

"Well maybe I don't want it anymore!" He spat.

Obi-Wan stopped. So did Anakin.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been having doubts about staying in the Jedi Order"

"How so?"

"You don't understand."

"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking. Is it my fault?"

"No, of course not." He took a deep sigh and looked around to see if they were alone "It's just... I know that I tried everything to stop this war in Jaig's future. And I didn't succeed. So I've been thinking about what I must have done wrong"

"That's perfectly reasonable. Did you come to any conclusions worth sharing?"

"I did. The Jedi's downfall was because we were blinded by the dark side, and because we were taking orders from the Republic. At least, that was part of it. I think it would be wise to learn from that mistake, and I don't know how. But one of the options I've been considering is leaving the Jedi Order" he said.

It was a lie, at least partially. The real reason he'd been considering it was because of his children and because of what Jaig had told him. Ahsoka had been happy in the future, with a family of her own. And he was jealous. He wanted to raise his children and be with his wife, but he knew he couldn't say that until his decision was final.

"I understand your concern. I just hope that you won't take the decision on a whim. We need you, Anakin."

"I know, master. But I need to re-evaluate my life. I think I'm going to leave the Jedi Order after the war is over."

"If that's what you think is right, I'll support you. But right now, we need to focus on interrogating Count Dooku"

"Yes master, of course"

* * *

"Good morning, Count. How is your stay so far?" Obi-Wan said as he opened the door to Dooku's cell.

The Sith was sitting in the interrogation chamber, his stumps now replaced by prosthetic bases. Anakin knew what those things did. they kept the wounds from closing and would allow for an interface between organic nerves and the prosthetic. He'd worn bases like that while his first hand was being built, and he felt some satisfaction from returning the favour to the Sith as he flexed his mechanical hand under his robes.

"Spare me your fake pleasantries. I'm ready to talk"

"No, you're not. Why would you talk so easily?" Anakin asked

"Because I'm no longer part of the Sith's plan. Sidious tried to betray me, so it's only fair that I betray him."

"And what is the Sith's plan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"To destroy the Jedi Order and create a new Sith Empire"

Anakin stopped breathing for a second. What Dooku was saying was starting to line up with what Jaig was saying.

"And why are you no longer part of the Sith plan?" Obi-Wan continued asking.

"Sidious tried to have me killed. That wasn't part of the plan. I was supposed to kill Kenobi, and that would turn Skywalker to the Dark Side"

Anakin became even more enraged at that, but he wouldn't give Dooku the satisfaction of seeing him lose control. He let his anger turn cold and controlled.

"And then what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Then, I'd surrender. I'd be taken captive, and Skywalker would be a hero. He'd become more frustrated with the Jedi, and would eventually leave the order and become a Sith"

"And who is Sidious?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I thought you knew"

"I do" Anakin said.

"You do? How?"

"Sidious is Palpatine. He tried to talk me into killing Dooku and leaving you behind while you were unconscious, Master"

"Ah yes, I remember now"

"Your padawan is very perceptive. It's a shame our lineage got tarnished with that tail-head" Dooku said.

"What did you just say?" Anakin snarled as he ignited his lightsaber.

"Anakin, calm down" Obi-Wan said

"I see that you still can't control yourself" Dooku said "But I'm not taking back what I said. There should be no place in the galaxy for lesser species. There's a reason why humans are the dominant species"

Anakin's vision went red, and he felt something tighten around his chest as he prepared to kill the Sith then and there.

"Let me at him, I'll kill him" he said as he tried to climb over the table but felt himself being pulled back and out of the room.

"Anakin, snap out of it!" Obi-wan said as he dragged Anakin out of the interrogation chamber, into a different one.

"Are you really going to let him talk about Ahsoka like that?"

"Of course not. But he's only trying to use your anger to his advantage. You have to control it!"

"Stop telling me my anger isn't justified!"

"That's not what I'm saying! But if you kill him, he won't talk and Sidious will have succeeded in keeping his secrets. If you can't control your anger, could you at least use it to help us instead of the Sith?"

Breathing heavily, Anakin replied "I wasn't trying to help the Sith"

"I know that. But the Sith are very manipulative, and they can get people to do their bidding even if they don't want too. Like with the clones."

Anakin took a deep breath. Obi-Wan made a good point. He was still angry, but he took a deep breath to calm himself at least a bit. He felt the pressure on his chest lift as Obi-Wan released his force grip on him.

"You're right master. This is my fault"

"No, it's mine. I'm sorry"

"How is this your fault?"

"I never knew how to deal with your anger. I wasn't ready for a padawan, much less one that had so much history of anger. Completely justified anger, I should say. But that made it even harder to deal with. None of the Jedi knew what to do. Except Qui-Gon, but..."

"I understand, Master. That's why I wanted to leave the order. If the Jedi can't help me, maybe I should seek help from other people"

"You make a good point. If you want to, I could discuss getting you a referral to a civilian therapist with the medical staff."

"That could be worth a try" Anakin admitted. The idea was calming. Maybe his anger truly wasn't his fault, and maybe this could be what he needed.

"Okay, I'll arrange it after I finish the interrogation. Take a break for now, you need it"

"Yes, master" Anakin said, relieved that he didn't have to be around Count Dooku anymore.

"And Anakin?" Obi-Wan said as he opened the door to the chamber they were sitting in now.

"Yes?"

"I'm proud of you. Most Jedi wouldn't have admitted that they had difficulty controlling their anger. That takes a lot of courage and strength, and it's what Dooku lacked. You're so much wiser than him, and I have no doubt that you'd make a great Jedi Master if you decided to stay" Obi-Wan said sincerely.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan" Anakin said, relieved.

Everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading


	4. Obi-Wan goes after Grievous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin gets the therapy he needs and says goodbye to Obi-Wan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally figured out how many chapters this is going to be. I'm also working on the outline of the next fic now, which takes place at the same time as this one mostly

Anakin was lying in bed. Yesterday, he had had his first therapy session with one of the therapy droids. It had been far more exhausting than he had assumed it would be, but it had helped. He was happy that he could do it at the barracks instead of a private clinic or something. He'd bought a couple of therapy droids, officially for the 501st. It had been far more expensive than just going to a living therapist, but more affordable. He could pay this from the GAR's budget instead of his own, admittedly meagre, income as a Jedi knight, which was only enough to cover the essentials because wealthy is "not the Jedi Way". But he was more than happy that he could get his men the help they needed as well.

Honestly, most of the men were relatively fine. As much as he hated the Kaminoans, they had done a good job preparing the men for most of the things that happened. They could deal with their brothers dying, the possibility of their own death and their lack of freedom much better than he ever could. In fact, in the beginning of the war he had offered the clones their freedom, but as far as he knew they all refused. In fact, some of them had gotten offended over it. Still, he left them an opening to quietly desert if they wanted to. It hadn't been used as far as he could tell, but he had designed it in such a way that he wouldn't know. They'd just show up as casualties on the next mission. He always hoped that at least some of the casualties were deserters.

Still, he knew some of the clones definitely needed therapy. Rex was still beating himself up over Umbara, mostly about how he had followed Krell for way too long because it was what he thought was right, and the longnecks hadn't prepared him for having a General he couldn't trust. Fives was in pretty bad shape too. A combination of losing Echo, and then finding out he hadn't been dead at all and had been suffering for over a year hadn't been easy for Fives, who felt guilty for leaving a brother behind. And that wasn't even including the whole inhibitor chip thing.

And he himself? He'd been in a bigger mess than he had known apparently. He had apparently never learned how to deal with his anger in a decent way. He also had a lot of fear that he had to deal with. The fear he had surrounding Padmé's pregnancy was the most obvious one, but the fear of losing his men was getting to him as well and he hadn't even noticed.

Especially the ones on Mandalore. Their fate was out of his control, and that made his anxiety worse even though he fully trusted Rex and Ahsoka with them. And he'd sent all his best friends to Mandalore. The current 501st was alright, but they were mostly new recruits and a large number of them hadn't switched to personalised armour painting yet.

He looked at his wife. She looked beautiful in the light of the rising sun. He wasn't sure if she was showing already. He could see a small bump, but it could still pass for slightly bloated. They wouldn't get in trouble yet.

And then he realized what sunrise meant. He was late for the council meeting.

He got up as fast and quietly as possible, careful not to wake his wife.

* * *

When he got to the temple, the meeting was already over. He found Obi-Wan in one of the hallways.

"Master! I'm sorry I'm late. I overslept. What did I miss?"

"Anakin. It's good to see that you're finally awake. How was therapy?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It was okay I guess. The droid said that I shouldn't see any results until I'm a few sessions in, but it helps to know that I'm getting help. It's exhausting though. What did I miss?"

"We located Grievous. I'm taking the 212th to Utapau to confront him"

"I'll come with you."

"No, Anakin. You should stay here"

"For what?"

"I don't know, but the council didn't assign you this mission."

"But the 501st is one of the most elite battalions we have"

"It was, until you transferred Torrent Company to the 332nd"

"Ah, right. We shouldn't put Riptide Company on Utapau. They're still too shiny. I'll wait here for an easier first mission for them"

"That sounds like a great idea. Before I go, I wanted to tell you something. I'm proud of you, Anakin. I know I don't say it often enough, but I want you to know"

"Thank you" He said, before embracing his former master. Obi-Wan hugged him back and they held on for a few seconds too long, but Anakin needed this. He'd miss him.

* * *

Anakin was in the kitchen of Padmé's apartment waiting for 23:00. Padmé had already gone too bed. Dooku's senate hearings were really draining on her. Luckily she hadn't taken a major role in them. He was looking forward to calling Ahsoka. Picking a time to call had been hard since a day was 19 hours on Mandalore and 24 hours on Coruscant, so they hadn't talked in the last couple of days.

It was only 22:53. But maybe it didn't matter. He called her anyway.

The comm rang twice before she picked up, audio only. Weird.

"Ahsoka! How is Mandalore?"

"Good, we almost got shot today" she replied dryly.

"Sounds good. At least it's better than actually getting shot"

She laughed at that. "How's Padmé?"

"She's doing great. She's exhausted from the senate hearings. Dooku is perfectly willing to talk, he-"

Anakin stopped talking when he noticed Ahsoka was talking to someone else.

"No, stay here you _di'kut_. I'll get back to you after I'm done talking to Skyguy"

"Yes Sir" he heard Rex say, though his tone was different from how he usually said that. Anakin shrugged it off.

"Ahsoka, are you still there?"

"Yes, master. How much information did we get out of Dooku?"

"Well, he confirmed what Jaig told us about Palpatine. He has only given this information to the Jedi though, not to the Republic. So it's funny to watch Palpatine try to get his apprentice a lesser sentence, while all of us know Dooku ratted him out already. As soon as Dooku's trial is over, we'll arrest Palpatine"

Ahsoka laughed at that. She talked with him for a few more minutes before hanging up because she needed to get her men up.

Anakin laughed silently at how she had called Rex a "Di'kut". He knew what the word meant. He wondered what Rex could've done before 06:00 that could've caused Ahsoka to call him that. He probably hadn't even gotten his armour on that early.

Maybe he did literally forget to put on his pants. No, that didn't make any sense. Rex was in Ahsoka's quarters if he could hear him over the comm. And he wouldn't be in Ahsoka's quarters without pants.

Unless...

_Unless..._

_Oh..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading


	5. A long leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin catches up with Rex and Ahsoka, and makes plans with his wife about their upcoming babies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anakin is on a long leave for unknown reasons (seriously, he didn’t really do anything during ROTS between the battle of Coruscant and the whole order 66 ordeal if I remember correctly. And that was at least 6 months. Why would the Republic bench their most elite battalion?) and talks to Ahsoka and Rex about their relationship and to his wife about their children.

Anakin woke up next to his wife. The last few months had been quiet for him. He hadn't seen a lot of action for some reason. Why, he didn't know. He suspected it was because the 501st was still very shiny, or maybe the Jedi council had lost trust in him. Part of him was upset about that, but he was also happy his new men could get some training in, to catch them up to the same level with the more experienced half of his battalion.

The most likely reason was that the investigation into Palpatine had started, and Anakin was probably supposed to be available for that. Dooku had admitted everything, and Palpatine was getting suspended while the Senate investigated him. Anakin wasn't involved personally, but he'd probably be called in as a witness soon.

He looked at his wife. She was as beautiful as ever, even with her messy bedhead that she insisted didn't look good on her. She was clearly showing now, and she had announced her pregnancy to everyone now. There was no point in hiding it. Luckily, the press was too preoccupied with the clone wars to give her too much attention, which was one of the few upsides of this blasted war.

He checked the time. 5:30. Normally, he'd just roll over and try to fall asleep again immediately, but he checked the Mandalorian clock just in case. It was late in the evening there, but not terribly late. He could try to call Ahsoka.

He grabbed his commlink and bathrobe and went into the kitchen, so he wouldn't wake Padmé and called Ahsoka.

She picked up the comm.

"Anakin, is something wrong?"

"No, I just woke up early and saw that you were still awake. I wanted to ask how you and Rex are doing."

"We're fine" She said. Rex walked into view as well.

"That's good to hear. Did you two do it yet?"

"No, we didn't defeat Maul yet" she sighed.

"That's not what I meant. I meant..." and he made a ring with one hand, and put the finger of his other hand into it.

"Master!" Ahsoka said indignantly.

Rex's turned visibly darker at the implication. So that was a "yes" probably.

"What? I just want to know how your relationship is going and if I'm going to have to beat up Rex"

Ahsoka glared at him and walked away.

He was alone with Rex, who took over the holocomm.

"Sir, with all due respect: What the kriff?"

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'm not going to beat you up if you... do that. But if you hurt her, there are going to be consequences"

"Like what?"

Anakin thought about it for a second. He knew that it was wrong to actually beat Rex up, especially if Rex wasn't unreasonable. If he was honest with himself, if Rex ever broke her heart it would be in a breaking up kind of way. He'd definitely beat the man up if he cheated on Ahsoka, but Rex wouldn't do that. Still, he had a feeling that something could go wrong. He knew now that it might just be his anxiety talking, and not the force warning him. The therapy might actually be paying off. Still, he felt like he had to put a consequence in place. For his own sanity. 

"Honestly, if anything goes wrong and you two break up, I'm transferring you to a different battalion." He said "Not as a punishment, I'll make sure to put you in the 212th or 104th. Or maybe 327th. But it'd make it easier for her to move on"

"Sir, I would never hurt her."

"I know, Rex. But I can't really stop worrying. That's on me though, don't take it personally." 

"Alright sir. I'll promise to take good care of Ahsoka"

"Thank you, Rex. I'll make sure you two won't get in trouble as long as she's happy with you"

"Thank you, Sir." Rex said.

"Oh and Rex, can I give you some advice?"

"Alright"

"Girls really like it if you help them shampoo their hair"

"Sir, I'm pretty sure she'd punch me in the gut if I tried that"

"Why would she do that?"

"She only has eyelashes"

"Oh.. yeah, right. Forgot about that. If you shampoo my Padawan's eyes you'll get transferred"

Rex sighed. "Of course, Sir"

"Take care for the next five months" he said. 

Rex nodded and cut the connection.

Anakin went back to the bedroom. It was weird to have a timeline of how the war would probably progress. The siege would last eight months, and they were almost at the three month mark now. In the last month, order 66 would take place, around Padmé's due date. Maul would be defeated a few days later, and about a month after order 66 the 332nd would come back to Coruscant. Hopefully with Rex and Ahsoka this time.

He laid back in bed with his wife, who was awake now.

"You're so beautiful"

She just smiled at him and cupped his face with her hand.

He kissed her and put his hand on her belly. He could kind of feel the child inside of her, but it wasn't really clear. He knew from his visits to Kamino that fetuses didn't really have a strong force signature until they were almost ready to be taken out of the incubator. Or in this case, born. He wasn't even able to tell that there were two of them, but they felt healthy. 

"I wanna have our babies on Naboo" Padmé said.

"That sounds wonderful" he said.

He pulled her close.

"You know, it if the Jedi keep me on this weird leave, we could already prepare your house. We could give them a bedroom"

"And when they're a little older, they can swim in the river. And then, they can lie on the sand and let the sun dry them" she said.

"I don't like sand" Anakin said, referencing that day on Naboo over three years ago. 

"Shut up, Ani" Padmé said.

"Make me" he dared her.

She grabbed his head and pressed her lips to his.

That was... definitely an effective way to shut him up, Anakin thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)


	6. Order 66

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin talks to Ahsoka about his decision to leave the Jedi Order and their children.
> 
> Palpatine makes a last ditch effort to kill the Jedi

Anakin walked through the temple. The sunrise illuminated the halls, in a way that always made him happy when he was a kid, but now he just felt lost. He wasn't lost in the usual sense, he knew the temple well and he had amazing spatial awareness. But something about the temple had started to feel off. And he knew it wasn't the temple. It was him.

The last couple of months had been hard on Anakin. Obi-Wan had defeated Grievous, the chancellor had been found out thanks to Dooku's confession, and his trial had been going on since his last mission, which had been over six months ago, almost seven by now. He hadn't seen Ahsoka since before then, and Obi-Wan had left shortly after. Luckily, he had given the 501st and 332nd an additional, shared scramble set. This allowed him to open a direct line of communication to Rex, Ahsoka, Jaig or whoever he wanted to call. He had shared the same set with Obi-Wan, and Cody had a set as well just in case Anakin wanted to leave a message for Obi-Wan "I hate opening my voicemail" Kenobi.

Being able to keep in touch with his extended family had helped a lot. Sure, he had Padmé, but she didn't really understand the Jedi like Obi-Wan and Ahsoka did, or what being on the front lines was like. And, as much as he hated to admit it, Padmé had become a source of stress. She was due in two weeks, but he knew that due dates were rarely accurate. They would leave for Naboo in two days, and he wasn't ready. The closer the birth of his children came, the more anxious he grew. The nightmares had become worse, and he was starting to doubt that a C-section would work. 

And then there was the Jedi. He'd been wanting to quit for a while now. In fact, that was why he had originally come to the Jedi temple. But he had chickened out instead of facing his fears. No, he shouldn't think like that. He had tried and gotten to the door of the council doors. That was progress, and facing your fears doesn't mean conquer them right away. This was progress. And He wasn't going to quit right away regardless. He was going to stay with his men till the end. But as soon as the war was over, and his men were declared sentient and free to start their own lives, he'd be gone.

He already had plans to move in with Padmé officially, and become a stay at home dad. At least for now. Maybe he'd get a job when the kids were older, but for now just spending time raising them sounded great.

He checked his datapad. He could call Ahsoka. He hadn't talked to her in a week. He knew she had tried to take the first city, Nalic. It was one of the smaller cities surrounding Sundari. He knew that he probably shouldn't contact her while she might be in combat, so he sent her a non-emergent text message. She'd only see it if she opened a datapad. While he waited for her to answer, he worked on his resignation letter.

Half an hour later, his comm went off.

"Hey Skyguy, how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. Did you hear about Grievous yet?"

"Yes, we received a message about it from Cody"

"Good. How did your battle go?"

"It went alright. four casualties, three of them clones. Rex got shot as well, in his arm. But he'll be fine. We're setting up camp between Nalic and Sundari now. The final camp"

"The final camp?"

"Jaig said that this was our last camp in her timeline. It was still recognizable as a military camp and considered dangerous territory because there were still mines, but she occasionally went there she said."

"Your daughter walked into a minefield? She does take after both of you"

"Shut up, Skyguy. You taught us that. But she doesn't want to talk about it too much. She said there are some things that we shouldn't know about here. But she said that all that was left were creepy, abandoned buildings and watchtowers, the other stuff we put around it to keep the enemy out, a burn mark on the ground that she seems to feel weird about and a couple of graves. Most of them unmarked clone mass graves, a couple exhumed Mandalorian temporary graves and one other that had a piece of metal as a headstone. She found the piece of metal and it seems to upset her, but she won't tell us why"

Anakin nodded. Usually, the clones just dug a mass grave after every battle. They didn't care much about their graves, they considered elaborate funerals to be a waste of time. They'd mark the graves if they had time, but usually with whatever they could find. They rarely made sure the grave marker would be permanent, and Jaig was from 20 years ahead. He wasn't surprised that most clone graves had disappeared by then. Still. it wasn't unusual for a clone to get their own grave. It usually meant they were the only casualty that battle, and it wasn't implausible that one of the markers was still there after 20 years. So it might be a clone in the marked grave.

"Probably someone she knew"

"I doubt it. She said all republic troops left and that the only one she was close to from Deathwatch was Bo-Katan, who survived"

"Maybe she knows them now"

"That makes sense" Ahsoka said "It might be a clone"

"Yeah,I can imagine that it would be upsetting to see someone who you know will die walk around in the camp that they were buried in."

"Definitely" Ahsoka said. "I'll make sure to be there if she wants to talk"

"You're a good mom, Snips"

"Honestly, I still don't feel like one. Jaig is more of a friend than a child. Which is confusing, but honestly a relief as well. I'm still not sure if I'm ready for a kid"

"Honestly, neither am I. But it could happen any minute now"

"Wasn't she due in two weeks?"

"Yeah but it could be earlier. I'm so nervous"

"Don't worry Skyguy, it's going to be fine"

"Can I ask you something personal?"

"Of course"

"Jaig told me she was... difficult when she was born. Do you still want this? Even though you know it won't go well?"

"I'm not sure. I think I do though. But I know I'll be fine with the right medical intervention. But it's honestly it's just confusing. I don't even know if it'll be Jaig. It might be a different baby, with different DNA. So there might be another issue, like accelerated growth. But I'll still go through with it, even though it'll be risky. I'll just make sure to get my check ups, like we did in her future"

"That's what Padmé and I are doing, but I still feel nervous"

"I understand. It'll be fine. You know what won't happen"

"I hope you're right. I really do"

"It would've happened next week"

"I know. But now it'll be the last day of Palpatine's trial, when we'll get the verdict. He won't be able to give the order now"

"I know. It'll be fine"

"And the day after that, Padmé and I'll leave for Naboo and prepare for her C-secton, and then I'll resign from the Jedi Order"

"Good luck with that" she said, and then she ended the call.

Anakin sighed.

* * *

"Sheev Palpatine, you are hereby sentenced to death" Bail Organa said.

Anakin let out a sigh of relief.

"I would like to make one final call" The former chancellor said.

"Of course, you are entitled to contact someone before you're put in your cell on death row"

"No, I want to make it now"

The senate murmured, but Bail sighed. "I'll have to allow this"

The Sith smirked and opened the Senate's communicator. Anakin froze when he realized who he was calling. Cody.

"Commander Cody. The time has come. Execute Order 66"

"Yes my Lord" Cody said before hanging up.

The chancellor was immediately released by the two Coruscant guards next to him, and he immediately released a stream of lightning onto the chancellor's seat. Senator Organa ducked for cover immediately, and the senate guard immediately opened fire.

Anakin was shocked and braced himself for the wave of pain from the betrayal he expected to surge through the force bond he had with Obi-Wan before it snapped.

It never came. However, he could feel something different. Two blasters aiming at him from the Coruscant guards that had been guarding the Sith.

Kriff, they were affected.

He pulled out his lightsaber and deflected the blasterbolts back at their chests. He knew a deflected blaster bolt wouldn't be lethal for an armoured trooper at that distance, but they would need medical attention. Still, they were no longer a threat.

He jumped down and inspected the clones. They were still alive, and relatively safe on the senate floor while a fight broke out above him. 

Then, the comm on both the clones activated.

"Uno, Buggs! We're going to the Jedi Temple." a clone on the other end said.

Kriff, the whole Coruscant guard was affected.

Anakin sprinted outside, contacting Commander Appo in the mean time.

"Appo, come in"

"Commander Appo here"

"The trial went wrong, Order 66 has been given to the 212th and the Coruscant guard picked up on it. I need to to mobilize the 501st, they're going to the temple."

"Sir, we received the order as well. We ignored it because it came from... uhm.. someone who no longer represents the Republic. What are your orders?"

"Move to the Jedi temple, create a perimeter around it. Don't try to kill unless you have no other option. Use the gunships from the Resolute to evacuate the Jedi, younglings first"

"Yes sir"

Anakin continued running to the Jedi temple. Hopefully, he wasn't too late.

* * *

When he arrived, there was a stand off between the Coruscant guard and the 501st.

"Move aside, Appo. We were ordered to deal with these traitors. Why weren't you?" Fox asked

"Palpatine no longer represents the Republic, you shouldn't take orders from him"

Fox just stood there silently, and then one of the 501st shinies notices him.

"General Skywalker, it's good to see you!" he said. Anakin groaned internally. The shiny obviously didn't mean to rat him out, but the result was the same.

The entire Coruscant guard turned around and aimed their blasters at him.

"Stun them!" He ordered the 501st.

All the clones started shooting at once. Blue stun bolts hit the red armour of the Coruscant Guard, but they still managed to send a massive amount of blaster fire his way. 

He kept deflecting, hoping that the firing would seize before the effort he was putting in exhausted him. All he saw was blue light that was his own saber and tens of blasterbolts per second hitting it in a flurry. Then, he felt a burning pain and everything went black.

* * *

Anakin woke up to Padmé stroking his forehead. He looked up to see her sitting next to his hospital bed.

"Hi Angel. What happened?"

"You passed out while distracting the Coruscant guard. The 501st took them out afterwards. I'm proud of you, but please don't ever do something so bold and reckless ever again"

Anakin smiled at her. He wasn't going to tell her that this hadn't been his plan at all, she'd just worry too much. 

"General Skywalker, it's good to see you alive" Appo said as the med droid let him in. He stood at attention near the door "We were afraid we lost you"

"It takes more than that couple hundred blasterbolts to kill me"

"Ani!"

"I'm kidding, angel"

She let out an exasperated sigh before stroking his hair again. Then, he noticed that her leg was in a splint.

"What happened to you"

"I sprained my ankle. Apparently, returning fire while 9 months pregnant and wearing heels is a bad idea. But otherwise, I'm fine"

"I heard that she took out the Sith" Appo said.

"Did you?" Anakin asked in amazement.

"Possibly. It was hard to tell who shot the fatal shot in the chaos. But he's gone now, and that's all that matters"

Anakin just pulled her to him and kissed her. The Sith was dead. The war was going to end. He'd be able to spend the rest of his life with this woman. This was the best thing to ever happen to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> The stuff with Jaig is going to be covered in the next fic


	7. Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins are born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, here's the next chapter. The next fic is going to cover the rest of the siege of mandalore, and that fic will focus on the events mentioned in this one

"Please just release me" Anakin begged the med droid.

"I'm sorry sir, I am not allowed to discharge you" the droid said, and Anakin felt sorry for the poor thing. Still, he wanted to get out. He'd been lying in a hospital bed since he woke up, and while it had only been a few hours, he had to be on Naboo soon and he wasn't going to stay for _"observation"_.

"Then get me someone who can. I need to be home tonight to pack for our trip to Naboo"

"Of course, sir" the med droid said, before summoning a sentient nurse "Thank you for being so understanding"

"No problem, 42-4D"

A few moments later, a male Mirilian walked in.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Skywalker?"

"A lot better, can you let me out now?"

"Sir, you passed out after being shot by the entire Coruscant guard. We don't know how you survived that"

"Like I said, I just passed out from using the Force too much. Nothing more. Just release me"

"Alright then, as long as you sign the release form stating that this was your own decision and that we have no responsibility for this" the nurse sighed.

"Gladly" Anakin said, getting out of the bed and following the nurse to sign the forms.

* * *

"Hello Angel" Anakin said as he walked into Padmé's apartment.

"Anakin? Why are you here?" Padmé asked as she paused packing her stuff.

"To pack for you, of course"

"Anakin, you're supposed to be in the hospital. I can handle the packing myself"

"Angel," he said "You're pregnant"

"I'm fine. I didn't get shot by the entire Coruscant guard"

"I know, Angel. But you fought a Sith"

"I'll be fine, Ani"

"Just let me help you, Angel" he said, trying his best puppy eyes.

She sighed "Alright, Ani"

After he made sure to put her on the couch with some tea, he got to work, packing both her fancy clothes and her comfort clothes that he thought she looked even cuter in than her formal clothes. ~~Even though she didn't believe him.~~

Suddenly, he felt a spike of pain from Padmé. It wasn't that bad, but he was still worried so he sprinted over to find her sipping her tea.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Ani. I'm fine. It was just a small cramp"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am"

"Alright. I think I'm almost done packing. We should get some sleep. You need your rest for tomorrow's journey"

Padmé sighed "Ani, you worry too much. I'll be fine"

"Please, Angel"

"Alright" she said as she drank the last of her tea.

* * *

"Ani, wake up"

Anakin jolted awake. He wasn't even sure if he slept at all. It didn't feel like he had.

"What is it, Angel?"

"I think the babies are coming"

"What!? It's way too early!"

"It's only a week before my due date"

"Okay fair point. But let's get you to the hospital right away"

"Ani, my contractions aren't that close together yet. I timed them before waking you up. They're about ten minutes apart and not that bad yet"

"Still, I'd feel better if we got you to the hospital right away. Please"

"Try calling ahead to see if they'll take me in at this stage. I don't want to travel for nothing"

"Alright. Stay in bed and save your energy, Angel" Anakin said as he got up to get dressed and call the hospital

The next couple of hour were a blur. He rushed his wife to the hospital, running several red lights along the way and destroying a police droid that arrested them for it.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Padmé was going into active labour, sooner than they had expected. The doctors said that a natural birth with an epidural would be less risky than a caesarian section, considering the fast progress. Padmé had agreed, not wanting to go against medical advice. Anakin reluctantly agreed, not wanting to make decisions for his wife, but also still terrified that this would be a mistake.

It wasn't.

A few hours later, Luke and Leia were born.

When he saw the twins lying on their mother's stomach, everything just fell into place. They were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, even though they were still covered in blood, slime, a waxy substance he could not identify but he had been told it was normal.

He spend the next few hours with his wife and children.

Eventually, while Luke was napping on his mom and Leia was dozing off in his arms, his commlink went off.

He refused the call, but then he saw that it was Ahsoka. So he grabbed his datapad to send her a message.
    
    
    [JG-SKYW] Ahsoka, hi! I can't talk now, the babies are sleeping. But I can text.
    [JC-TANO] The babies? are they born?
    [JG-SKYW] Yeah, they're amazing. I'll send you pictures once I get some good ones.
    [JC-TANO] Congrats! I can't wait to see them.
    [JG-SKYW] Also I've decided to quit the order and be a stay at home dad. You can have the rest of the 501st as well. Keep them safe until the end of the war for me.
    [JC-TANO] I will. I have some news as well. We defeated Maul. Mandalore is free again.
    [JG-SKYW] That's amazing, Snips. I'm proud of you. Training you was one of the best things that happened while I was a Jedi.
    [JC-TANO] Thank you, Skyguy. I'll come back with the 332nd tomorrow. When can I come visit my niece and nephew?
    

Anakin smiled to himself. He wouldn't lose his padawan. He hoped he could stay in touch with Obi-Wan too, and he probably would.
    
    
    [JG-SKYW] Hopefully as soon as possible. I'll keep you updated.
    [JC-TANO] Okay, I'll get back in touch with you. I have to write the reports and make plans to deal with the remaining members of Deathwatch
    [JG-SKYW] I'll send the 501st your way. Good luck Ahsoka.
    [JC-TANO] Thanks, Anakin.
    

Anakin closed the chat window and stroked Leia's back as the infant slept on his stomach. He pulled up his resignation letter and hit send.

Everything would be alright now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :) please tune in for the next fic (Which I'll upload next week)
> 
> JG = Jedi General  
> JC = Jedi Commander

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading


End file.
